Feudalism: Difference between revisions

By the 12th century, Feudalism had become the most prominent system in Europe, having evolved into a plethora of systems all across the continent with varying degrees of central authority. However due to reliance on the relations between the liege and his vassals, the system weakened over time as it was getting more complex. Another serious blow came during the Black Death in the 14th century and the subsequent peasant revolts, which caused a chronic shortage of labor and the abandonment of large portions of farmable land. This, in turn, has led to the growth of towns and cities, as people were leaving the countryside for a chance to start a better life. The increase in the influence of cities that this shift brought, has led to a significant change in the rigid feudal social structure - the emergence of a rich and powerful merchant class with no connections to the old aristocracy, which was pushing for a more meritocratic society. This, coupled with a weakening role of vassals in the defence of the realm due to the growing reliance on hired soldiers led to the centralization of power in the hands of the monarch and the emergence of [[File: Abmon.png]] [[Absolute Monarchism]]. However, some vestiges of feudalism would last in Europe, such as in Austria and Russia into the 19th century, and the Channel island of Sark finally abolished it as late as 2008.